DigHum Lecture: Virgilio Almeida: “Algorithmic Institutionalism”

Date:
March 19, 2024 12:00 am
  • Speaker: Virgilio Almeida, Harvard University, USA & Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
  • Moderator: Lynda Hardman, CWI – Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica, Amsterdam and Utrecht University

March 19, 2024
5:00 – 6:00 PM
(17:00) CET

We are looking forward to seeing you:
Participate via Zoom (Password: 0dzqxqiy). The talk will also be live-streamed and recorded on the DIGHUM YouTube Channel.

ABSTRACT

In the presentation, we introduce an innovative idea: algorithms can be seen as emerging institutions in modern societies. They function as rule sets shaping norms and environments for both humans and machines. As a result, algorithms impact individual behaviors and have broader societal effects. We illustrate this concept by examining examples of algorithms used in public security, government platforms, and recommendation systems across different domains. Our conclusion emphasizes the need to democratize algorithms, similar to how other complex institutions have been democratized in the past, to mitigate the risks they present to contemporary societies.